The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser comprising a container, a dispenser member such as a pump or a valve, and fixing means for fixing the dispenser member to the container. In general, the container defines a reservoir serving to contain a fluid to be dispensed by the dispenser member. The container is provided with a neck defining an opening in which the dispenser member is fixed by the fixing means which, in general, comprise recess-forming means for receiving the dispenser member, often by snap-fastening. The fixing means further comprise fastening means for fastening to the neck of the container.
Conventionally, the fixing means often comprise a fixing piece defining a substantially cylindrical skirt that extends around the neck. Also conventionally, the neck is provided with a reinforcing rim that forms an inwardly-extending ledge that meets a finer bottom portion of the neck that is connected to the reservoir via a shoulder.
A well known fixing technique is to use the skirt to achieve fastening under the reinforcing rim, i.e. at the ledge. Several technical solutions of that type are known. In particular, the skirt can be provided with tabs terminated by snap-fastening heads serving to come into engagement under the reinforcing rim against the ledge. In general, to lock the tabs in position, a band is used that covers the skirt. Another technique makes provision to form the skirt in continuous manner and to provide the inside of the skirt with a snap-fastening bead that is received under the reinforcing rim.
In the fixing technique using snap-fastening tabs and snap-fastening heads, it is necessary to use a locking band. Therefore, it is not possible to mount the band before the skirt is mounted on a container neck. In the other technique in which snap-fastening is achieved by means of a continuous skirt providing with a bead on its inside, the fixing is sometimes not secure, and it is then possible to withdraw the dispenser member manually by pulling it. Tamper-proofing is thus not guaranteed before the user uses the dispenser for the first time.
An object of the invention is to remedy the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art by defining a dispenser in which the fixing means are properly secure while omitting a locking band. Therefore, if a band is used, it is merely a decorative trim band which can be mounted previously onto the skirt even before the skirt is mounted on the neck of the container.
To this end, the present invention makes provision for the fixing means to comprise a ring disposed around the neck of the container, and an annular element in contact with the outside wall of the neck, the ring being engaged in a sheath formed by the skirt or the band so as to urge the annular element against the outside wall of the neck. Thus, use is made of the relative displacement of the ring to urge, or even to press, the annular element against the outside wall of the neck. When the annular element is pressed strongly by being wedged by the ring, the annular element may serve as a sealing element in the same way as a neck gasket. It is the engagement of the ring in the sheath that makes it possible for these two parts to move relative to each other so as to bring the annular element into contact with the outside wall of the neck.
The annular element may be part of the skirt or part of the ring in the form of a deformable portion urged by the ring or the skirt into contact with the outside wall of the neck. When the skirt forms the deformable portion, it is the ring that serves as cam to urge said deformable portion against the outside wall of the neck, and when it is the ring that forms the deformable portion, it is the skirt that urges the ring against the outside wall of the neck. The urging of the skirt or of the ring may be achieved by means of a cam system.
In a variant, the annular element may be a separate deformable piece, e.g. in the form of an O-ring seal disposed between the skirt, the ring, and the outside wall of the neck.
The engagement of the ring inside the skirt or inside the band can be achieved by various techniques, in particular by means of screwing, clamping, snap-fastening, or barbs. By using barbs, the engagement is irreversible so that the fixing is permanent.
In an embodiment, the neck is provided with locking means for preventing the ring from rotating about the neck. It is necessary to prevent the ring from rotating in particular when the engagement between the ring and the skirt is achieved by screwing. It is necessary to lock the ring on the neck in order to screw the skirt onto the ring without the ring rotating with the skirt.
When the engagement between the ring and the skirt is achieved by means of barbs, it is necessary to prevent the ring from moving in translation on the neck, in order to fit the skirt over the ring. To this end, the ring may bear via its bottom end against the container. More precisely, the ring bears against the container where the neck meets the body of the reservoir.
According to another characteristic, the skirt may be provided with trim in contact with the skirt at the ring. Since the outside wall of the skirt is not deformed when the ring is moved, it is possible to mount the trim band on the skirt even before it is mounted on the neck of a container.